Daily Devotional For Friday, August 8, 2025

It’s “ Fantastic Friday”, Southside. Let’s thank God for this day. Wisdom is something I was taught we acquire through experience. But God’s Word says there is a different wisdom that we can only get from the Lord – spiritual wisdom. Look at James 1:5, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (NLT). The context for James 1:5, is James 1:2-4:

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. (3) For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. (4) So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (NLT). 

The word translated as “consider” in verse 2 is a hint of our need for God’s wisdom. This is the Greek New Testament word [ἡγέομαι, hegeomai]. The Greek verb hēgeomai (consider) is an imperative, a command,  because joy is not our normal and natural reaction to trouble, trials and tribulations. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are not to exhibit some kind of vicarious or fake joy, but real joy in times of difficulty. This is why, when connected to the word joy, it is often translated as pure joy, unmixed joy, complete and total joy, or sheer joy. James says that in all times of difficulty, God will give us joy and wisdom on how to handle such difficulties. This gives us joy, not manufactured by us, but by the Holy Spirit. Joy is one of the Fruit of the Spirit. See Galatians 5:22-23.

So, how does all this relate to joy? I am so glad you asked. We need a certain kind of wisdom in order to consider it pure joy when facing all kinds of difficulties. If we are paying attention to the implications of the first verses in this letter we will be struck with our lack of wisdom. New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton writes this about wisdom:

1. It is practical—The wisdom from God relates to life even during the most trying times. It is not a wisdom isolated from suffering and trials. This wisdom is the tool by which trials are overcome. An intelligent person may have profound ideas, but a wise person puts profound ideas into action. Intelligence will allow someone to describe several reasons why the car broke down. The wise person chooses the most likely reason and proceeds to take action.
2. It is divine—God’s wisdom goes beyond common sense. Common sense does not lead us to choose joy in the middle of trials. This wisdom begins with respect for God, leads to living by God’s direction, and results in the ability to tell right from wrong. It is a wisdom that James will describe at length in chapter 3.
3. It is Christlike—Asking for wisdom is ultimately asking to be like Christ. The Bible identifies Christ as the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 2:1-7 (Source: Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary, “James,” p. 11).

When we are in the midst of trials, we may reflexively cry out, “God, why me? There is nothing redemptive in my trial! Why does it go on?” Or, “Lord, get me out of this.” But how many of us say, while being tested, “Lord, I need wisdom—Please use this trial to increase my wisdom and understanding of you, your people, and life”? This is exactly what the Lord says through James we should pray. Wisdom is not knowledge. I believe most of us have enough knowledge. Wisdom is far more than intellectual perception and understanding. Most of you reading this probably have at least a high school diploma and some of you have a bachelors or masters degrees. The wisdom James says we should ask God for is not more knowledge. We can get that from Google or the Internet. Alan Bloom, who wrote the book, The Closing Of The American Mind, writes about how much godly wisdom his uneducated grandparents were:

“My grandparents were ignorant people by our standards, and my grandfather held only lowly jobs. But their home was spiritually rich because all the things done in it, not only what was specifically ritual, found their origin in the Bible’s commandments, and their explanation in the Bible’s stories and the commentaries on them, and had their imaginative counterparts in the deeds of the myriad of exemplary heroes. My grandparents found reasons for the existence of their family and the fulfillment of their duties in serious writings, and they interpreted their special sufferings with respect to a great and ennobling past … [and then comes the punch] I do not believe that my generation, my cousins who have been educated in the American way, all of whom are M.D.s or Ph.D.s, have any comparable learning. When they talk about heaven and earth, the relations between men and women, parents and children, the human condition, I hear nothing but clichés, superficialities, the material of satire” (Source. Alan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind, p. 60).

Here are some biblical New Testament Greek scholars definition of wisdom:

• A. T. Robertson, the towering genius of Greek grammar, calls wisdom “the practical use of knowledge” (Source: Archibald T. Robertson, Word Pictures In The New Testament, p. 13).
• F. J. A. Hort, in his painstaking commentary, terms it “that endowment of heart and mind which is needed for right conduct in life” (Source: F. J. A. Hort, The Epistle of St. James, p. 7).
• J. H. Ropes describes it as “the supreme and divine quality of the soul which man knows and practical righteousness” (Source: J.H. Ropes, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary On The Epistle of St. James, p. 37).
• Ralph Martin in his recent study states, “For the Jewish mind wisdom meant practical righteousness in everyday living.” (Source: Ralph Martin, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 8, “James,” p. 17).

The Bible teaches that practical wisdom is rooted in a fear or reference for God. This is the point of Job 28:12-28. We see this same emphasis in other Scriptures:

• Psalm 111:10, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise Him forever!” (NLT).
• Proverbs 1:7, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (NLT).
• Proverbs 9:10, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.  Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment” (NLT).

I think you are familiar with Albert Einstein. He gave us the “Theory to Relatitivity” and the atomic bomb. He was brilliant in physics, but he lacked wisdom for daily living. He once said this at a conference attended by outstanding pastors, scientists and church members: “In their struggle for the ethical good, teachers of religion must have the stature to give up the doctrine of a personal god” (Source: Lehman Strauss, James Your Brother, p. 20). Einstein had knowledge, but no wisdom.

Wisdom begins with a healthy reverence and fear of and for God. To be honest, I do not see that many Christians have a fear of the Lord when I look at their lifestyles, their language and their leanings. And this is why they do not have godly wisdom. The New Testament makes it clear that wisdom is connected with our relationship to Christ. In the  Bible, Paul tells us this in 1 Corinthians 1:30, “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin” (NLT). Please do not take your relationship to Christ for granted and please do not do what Galatians 6:7 says. No fear or reverence for the Lord is mockery and God will not tolerate it.

James’ point in James 1:5 is that God is waiting patiently for us to ask Him for wisdom. Literally James 1:5 says, “keep asking the constantly giving God.” God will give us wisdom without putting us down or demeaning us. We get impatient with people who come to us for advice and do not listen to it, but not God. He will never say to you, “I gave you a head with a brain in it. Use it!” If we ask Him for wisdom, God will freely give it to us.

Assignment: Reflect – How often do you ask the Lord for His wisdom? Do you typically just make tough decisions and hope for the best? If you do not ask the Lord for wisdom, why? How different do you think your life would be if you consistently asked God for wisdom and received it?

Scripture To Meditate On: James 3:17, “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere” (NLT).

Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, thank You for Your generosity. I praise that You withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly before You. May I not just be a hearer of Your Word, but may I be a doer of Your Word. Grant me Your wisdom and knowledge as I seek You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly.